Post office busy with packages

Published 6:00 pm, Monday, December 15, 2003

From morning until afternoon, postal services around Montgomery County were busy mailing Christmas cards and shipping packages.

Monday was the last day to send regular first-class mail through the post office with the guarantee that the package would arrive before Christmas day.

Anita Moore, an employee of Friendly Travel in Conroe, was part of the masses caught in line Monday.

Moore joked with fellow patron Martha Foerster about her co-workers' tendencies to pass off the postal duties to someone else in the office.

"We end up bribing each other to go," Moore joked.

Moore said she was not aware that Monday was the busiest day of the year and probably would have avoided coming if she would have known.

Forester was in line Monday delivering home-made cookies to servicemen currently in Iraq and Afghanistan.

She said she also had just learned before coming to the post office that it was the busiest day of the year.

"But I had to do it today," she said. "I want the cookies to be as fresh as possible when they get there."

The U.S. Postal Service reports that prior to the war in Iraq, the average daily volume nationwide was about 3,000 pounds. After the war started, it grew to 300,000 pounds and peaked at 600,000 pounds.

The volume dropped off to 200,000 pounds daily, but volume increases of at least 25 percent are now occurring.

"We are sure to see that increase (locally) from people mailing packages to servicemen," Conroe Postmaster Mario Martinez said. "Our numbers will be a little higher. We sure hope so."

Mailing packages during the holidays can get expensive, which makes mailing early beneficial for both the sender and receiver.

Martinez said the longer customers wait to send packages, the more expensive it will be.

Starting today, residents should use priority mail to ensure a delivery by Christmas. Priority mail for packages less than 1 pound costs $3.85.

Express Mail, Next Day and Second Day mail not more than half a pound is $13.65; less than 2 pounds is $17.85.

In addition to the U.S. Postal Service, local residents can use UPS by calling (800) 820-9880, FEDEX by calling 800 463-3339 or the Greyhound Bus Service to send packages by ZIP code. The price will depend on the location. Call (800) 739-5020 or log on to the Web site at www.greyhound.com.

Abiding by certain mailing tips will ensure that your package is delivered safely.

* Be careful using previously mailed boxes. Old addresses and bar codes cause confusion, so make sure to mark through them completely.

* If mailing framed pictures, disassemble and wrap the frame and glass separately.